The housing crisis is affecting students: rooms are often expensive or only available temporarily. In politics, various ideas are being discussed to tackle the excesses, but interventions sometimes have unintended consequences.

For example, an attempt to cap rent prices and improve tenant protection for students led to a wave of private landlords selling their properties, causing many rental homes to disappear from the market. Cursor reported last week on the Eindhoven student house HK Montagne, which was affected by this.

The new cabinet now wants to adjust the rules for students. They should be able to receive a temporary rental contract from their landlord, according to Minister of Housing Elanor Boekholt-O’Sullivan.

Disadvantage in your own city

Private landlords prefer temporary contracts, the minister writes in a letter to the House of Representatives. Currently, students can only receive a temporary rental contract if they come from outside the municipality—for example, if they are doing an internship or taking a minor in another city. As a result, students are at a disadvantage in their own city when searching for housing.

One earlier argument for temporary contracts was that private individuals would be more willing to rent out a home or room that might otherwise remain vacant for a period of time. Under the current rules, that is less feasible.

More expensive in city centers

In addition, the cabinet wants to allow higher rents in city centers such as Amsterdam and Utrecht. According to the government, the location of a property currently does not weigh heavily enough in determining the maximum rent price. This could make a difference of up to 96 euros per month. Rent could increase even further if the property is a listed building.

Homes without outdoor space (such as a small garden) would also no longer need to be cheaper than those with outdoor space. The argument is that in city centers, offering outdoor space is not always possible.

The House of Representatives would prefer to regulate such matters through legislation, but the minister favors a ‘general administrative measure,’ which would allow for quicker implementation. It remains to be seen how Parliament will respond.

Response

The Woonbond is not convinced by the cabinet’s new plans. “Policy should be based on facts, not on assumptions or lobbying pressure,” director Zeno Winkels said in a press release. The current Affordable Rent Act has been in force for less than two years. The organization would rather wait for an evaluation before making further changes.

The Woonbond also points to increased taxes that landlords must pay on their properties, which can make renting them out unprofitable. According to the organization, the new measures effectively pass those costs on to tenants.

Last fall, Landelijke Studentenvakbond (the National Student Union) protested against the housing shortage, together with several other advocacy groups. The union does not see temporary contracts as a solution, “because after one or two years, you could suddenly find yourself without housing again.”

This article was translated using AI-assisted tools and reviewed by an editor.